Armed guards threaten Yemeni PM over reform

Yemeni Prime Minister Abdul Qader Bajammal was threatened on Sunday by gun-totting parliamentary guards critical of the government's economic reform programme, a member of Parliament said.

"Dozens of armed men who guard the MPs, and who were gathered in front of parliament, questioned the prime minister as he arrived, denouncing his government's economic reforms," the lawmaker said yesterday.

"'You want us to swallow your reforms, see what we can make you swallow,' one of the guards shouted as he pointed his gun at the premier's face," he said, requesting anonymity.

Bajammal's own guards intervened, allowing him to enter the building while the other guards fled before police reinforcements arrived, he said.

Meanwhile, Vice Speaker Yahya Al Raee suspended the session, saying, "The session is adjourned until every MP can control his bodyguards, until there is a state and real Parliament."

He ordered an immediate investigation and imprisonment of the soldiers who tried to assault the prime minister.

It was the second time in three months that the prime minister has been the target of abuse by armed parliamentary guards. After a debate on government reforms at the end of September, Bajammal was forced to leave parliament via a back door to avoid the angry guards.

An unpopular government attempt to raise fuel prices in order to secure funds necessary for economic reforms and development projects was rejected by parliament in September.

Despite Sunday's incident, Bajammal defended his reform programme before the house, which debated a $4-billion (around Dh14.72 billion) draft budget for the 2005 fiscal year, a government source said.

He also warned of the consequences of parliament rejecting economic measures recommended by international organisations helping Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world, to restructure its economy.

Meanwhile, six opposition parties, including the two major parties - Islamic and Socialist called on the President to intervene and stop the passing of a Bill seeking to lift subsidies on oil derivatives, what is now come to known as "the prices reform". They also called on the Parliament to reject the Bill to prove its national responsibility towards citizens and their living conditions.

"The economic reform programme has failed, we are now facing the disaster of the prices reform," said Abdul Wahab Al Ansi, Assistant Secretary-General of the opposition Islamic party, Islah. "There is a complete package for reforms, but it is only attempting to push the prices reform."

Yesterday, members of Parliament staged a sit in to protest against the unilateral suspension of the session. They described the procedure adopted to suspend the session as ''violation of the constitution''.

Any decision issued by the parliament should be taken by a majority of the MPs, and this did not happen when the session was suspened on Sunday. Those responsible for the suspension of the session should be held accountable for violating the constitution and laws, said a statement issued by three opposition parliamentary blocs - Nasserite, Socialist and Islah.

The writer is an Arab journalist based in Sanaa